Would this suggest he was alcoholic?

[SK82]

Husband has drunk four bottles of wine I had in cupboard ( don’t know over what time) and put empty bottles back on cupboard. These were drunk alone and not with me. Would this suggest a problem?

Depends why he put the empty ones back.

To hide the fact he drank them? That would be worrying. Because he was to lazy to bin them? It’s not the wine that’s the problem.

Hmm, well I like to drink alone.

It's all really relative and subjective.

The real question is whether his drinking is affecting his personality and his ability to perform his roles in life; husband, father, worker.... etc.

There’s not enough information to tell. Would need to know the time it took for him to drink the wine. Putting them back in the cupboard empty is irrelevant.

Was it more effort to put the bottles back where they were - like, was there other stuff in front of them? If so, then he put the empties back to hide the fact he'd drank them. Probably meant to replace them before you noticed, but forgot. Which brings up the question of how many times he's done this in the past, and replaced them before you've realised.

I'm a recovering alcoholic BTW.

Depends. If he drunk them over one or two days then I’d be suspicious, but if it was over a month then no.

It seems odd to me that none of it was shared with you. Are you saying he waits till he’s alone in the house before drinking? And do you have any other reason to think he might have a problematic relationship with alcohol?

Odd. Why put the bottles back, rather than in the recycling. And when is he drinking these said 4 bottles, when you were out?

Drinking in secret is always an issue I think, he probably doesn't even admit it to himself. Putting the bottles back isn't 'normal' behaviour either.
Have you spoken to him about it?

As you can't say a timescale it's impossible to say if he's an alcoholic.

I think putting empty bottles back in a cupboard is deceitful and shows that he had a guilty conscience.

@SK82 I think hiding drinking isn't a good sign- it's like hiding that one is secretly eating is an eating disorder symptom, secretly drinking is a sign of being at the very least a problem drinker. delamere.com/blog/secret-drinking-spotting-the-signs-of-alcoholism

You're his wife, I think if you think he has a drink problem there's probably something in that, unless you are particularly unusually anti-alcohol.

This is enough in itself, but has there been other stuff in the past?

Could have been too lazy to put them in the recycling—- or could have put them back hoping you’d not realise they’d been drunk. ( my ex h did the same —- then told me it was my fault he’d drunk then as I’d “ hidden” them. No, I’d bought them to have with dinner with his parents the next weekend)
You could try this questionnaire to see if it gives any insight www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools/self-assessment

( And respect to anyone who has gone into recovery. I can still be bitter over what ex h’s alcoholism cost me but I do respect those who’ve taken the huge steps it takes to recovery and wish you well)

The fact you are asking tells me you already have your suspicions. Its definitely odd to put empty bottles back into a cupboard. What other signs have you noticed?